Service recovery satisfaction in offline and online experiences

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Raphael Odoom ◽  
George Cudjoe Agbemabiese ◽  
Robert E. Hinson

Purpose Given that the peculiar nature of the internet has introduced new dimensions of service delivery as well as new dimensions of service failures and recovery, the purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare the relationships between recovery strategies and recovery satisfaction within offline and online settings. Design/methodology/approach Data for the empirical tests of our hypotheses were collected via offline and online (specifically Facebook and Twitter) samples of customers who have experienced some form of service failure and recovery measures from service providers within the past year. Findings The results indicate that recovery strategies largely influence recovery satisfaction among aggrieved customers. However, these are conditional and not invariant across the two settings. In the authors’ offline setting, in particular, apology did not show a statistically significant impact on recovery satisfaction, even though, along with compensation and explanation, this relationship was significant among the online sample. Originality/value The study offers practical implications for service managers within emerging economies on the various conditions where they can maximise their service recovery efforts (both offline and online) to generate optimum recovery satisfaction.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 1567-1587 ◽  
Author(s):  
JungYun (Christine) Hur ◽  
SooCheong (Shawn) Jang

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how consumer forgiveness is formed by examining rumination and distraction by consumers in hotel service failures.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a self-administered questionnaire in the USA. A total of 371 usable responses were obtained. Anderson and Gerbing’s two-step approach was used to assess the measurement and structural models.FindingsThis study suggests that rumination and distraction play significant roles in processing consumer forgiveness. Self-focused rumination and distraction increase consumer forgiveness, whereas provocation-focused rumination exacerbates the negative effects of service failure severity on consumer forgiveness. This study also shows that gender differences exist. Men were more likely than women to link self-focused rumination and distraction to their intentions to forgive a service provider.Practical implicationsThis study is helpful for hotel managers to understand the mechanisms of consumer forgiveness in service failures and develop effective recovery strategies. Managers should aim to lessen consumers’ provocation-focused rumination while encouraging self-focused rumination and distraction. In addition, because of the differences in the process of consumer forgiveness between men and women, it is critical to differentiate the two groups in designing targeted recovery strategies for service failures.Originality/valueThis study investigates consumer forgiveness as a behavioral outcome following service failures that may help consumers achieve psychological balance and allow service providers a chance to restore the broken relationship. This study adds new information for understanding consumer responses and provides a basis for effective service management strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mauro Sciarelli ◽  
Abdelhakim A. Nagm ◽  
Mona I. Dakrory ◽  
Mario Tani ◽  
Mohamed A. Khashan

This current study purposes to identify the relationships between service recovery strategies, service recovery satisfaction, and both dimensions of customer loyalty in regard to Internet providers using the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) approach on a sample of 430 internet customers in Egypt.This study contributes insights into how seven service recovery strategies affected customer loyalty with its both attitudinal and behavioral dimensions directly and indirectly via service recovery satisfaction. These insights are helpful for service managers faced with service failure and academicians interested in how service providers respond to service failures and customer dissatisfaction in the B2C context.The results of this study show that some SR strategies positively influence both service recovery satisfaction and customer loyalty toward internet providers. Furthermore, service recovery satisfaction positively influencing the customer loyalty. In addition, SRS plays a mediating role in the relationship between SR strategies and customer loyalty. The results highlight that internet service providers should implement SR strategies quickly and with an empathetic manner to satisfy customers and to encourage customer's loyalty. Finally, some implications and further research directions were presented.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yit Sean Chong ◽  
Pervaiz K. Ahmed

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the notion of “service transgression” which violates customers’ religious beliefs through observing certain dietary guidelines that shape their religious identity. While service transgression and customer forgiveness are predominantly examined using experimental procedures or questionnaire survey in existing studies, this study adopts an interpretive paradigm to explore the complexities and idiosyncratic narratives of individual perceptions. Design/methodology/approach Detailed narrative accounts of 15 participants consisting of five Muslims, five Buddhists and five Hindus; who are working adults residing in Malaysia were gathered via in-depth interviews. Critical incident technique was employed with interpretive approach being undertaken to uncover key themes that form the essence of experiences in service transgressions. Findings The responses from participants were mainly contingent to the individuals’ interpretations of their religious expectations in the assessment of the incidents. Observations from the interview protocols reveal common themes in the consideration of whether one has indeed transgressed against the religious norms, the assignment of blame and responsibility and reparation of relationships. From the findings of this study, the authors developed a typology of conflict framing categories: “damaged identity”, “identity at risk” and “identity preservation” by considering both dyadic and triadic service relationships in service failure incidents which involve a violation of customers’ religious belief systems. Practical implications The outcome of this study seeks to inform service providers on the impact of service transgression of this nature upon consumers particularly in a multi-faith society. Additionally, this study provides insights into the implementation of service recovery strategies if and when such situation arises. Originality/value By undertaking a narrative enquiry, this study uncovers personal sense making in this phenomenon within the contextual frame of societal and historical norms. The outcome of this study provides insights to service providers on the impact of service transgression upon consumers particularly in a multi-faith context such as Malaysia. Additionally, this study discusses managerial implications associated with the implementation of service recovery strategies if and when such situation arises.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Ching Tsai ◽  
Yung-Kai Yang ◽  
Yu-Chi Cheng

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how service failure affects customers’ negative response and how service recovery affects perceived justice in the context of different relationship norms. Design/methodology/approach – It includes four studies that examine how relationships influence customer reactions to service failures. In study 1, the paper examines how service failures affect customers’ negative reaction. In study 2, the paper examines how service recoveries influence perceived justice. Study 3 and study 4 test the robustness of the results of study 1 and study 2. All studies have a 2×2 between-subjects design. Findings – The results show that individuals in exchange relationships experience a stronger feeling of betrayal than those in communal relationships during service failures. Further, individuals feel more betrayed and show greater negative responses during process failures. They perceive greater justice when offered physical recoveries, which, in turn, contributes to higher service-recovery satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – This study was conducted in Taiwan. Customer reactions to service failures may vary according to cultural and environmental contexts. Practical implications – Service providers are encouraged to cultivate relationships with customers and identify different types of customers to compensate them more effectively, according to their preferences. Originality/value – This study introduces relationship norms to investigate consumer responses to service failures. The main contributions are twofold; it investigates the effect of relationship norms on customer responses to service-failure types and service-recovery types.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardeep Chahal ◽  
Pinkey Devi

Purpose – This paper aims to explore consumer attitude towards service failure and recovery in the higher education in general and with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure in particular. Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected from 120 students of three undergraduate colleges of University of Jammu using purposive sampling. Findings – The findings reveal that all recovery efforts pertaining to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure are significant in overcoming the respective service failures. Research limitations/implications – The present study is limited to address service failure and service recovery relationship with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure and limited to three undergraduate colleges operating in Jammu city only. The sample of the study is small which needs to be considered before generalizing the results. Originality/value – This study makes a maiden attempt to identify service failure issues with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure using quantitative methodology in higher education and role of service recovery strategies in monitoring and reducing service failure.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amro A. Maher ◽  
Rana Sobh

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the role of collective angst, the concern about the future viability of one’s group, during service failure and recovery. Design/methodology/approach – To test this objective the authors utilize an experiment to examine how Kuwaitis react to service failures when the front-line employee is a foreigner. Findings – The results indicate that collective angst is associated with greater anger following a service failure. The authors also find that collective angst moderates the impact of cultural distance on anger and recommendation intentions following a service-failure recovery attempt. More specifically, cultural distance leads to greater anger and lower intentions to recommend a service establishment for consumers that experience greater collective angst. Originality/value – The research provides the first attempt at examining how local consumers react to foreigner service providers, by examining how concern about the future vitality of one’s national group, in other words collective angst, affects such reactions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 552-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mattila ◽  
Lydia Hanks ◽  
Chenya Wang

Purpose – Often, service failures are witnessed by other customers, but little is known about how consumers react to service recovery aimed at other customers. Using the deontic theory of justice, this paper aims to examine consumers' reactions to justice directed toward other customers. Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Both were 2 x 2 between subjects quasi experimental designs using written scenarios and surveys. The scenarios depicted an observing customer witnessing a service failure and recovery happening to another customer. Findings – Results show that the valence of the recovery attempt impacted the observing customer's reactions and evaluations, and that the observer's processing frame and loyalty status of the victim impacted the observing customer's judgments of fairness and behavioral intentions. Originality/value – These results provide guidance to service providers by shedding light on the impact of service failures and recovery on surrounding customers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Van Vaerenbergh ◽  
Arne De Keyser ◽  
Bart Larivière

Purpose – Many service providers feel confident about their service quality and thus offer service guarantees to their customers. Yet service failures are inevitable. As guarantees can only be invoked when customers report service failures, firms are given the opportunity to redress the original failure potentially influencing customer outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to provide the first empirical investigation of whether excellence in service recovery affects customers’ intentions to invoke a service guarantee, thereby discriminating between conditional and unconditional guarantees and testing for the impact of customers’ individualistic vs collectivistic cultural orientation. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 171 respondents from four continents (spanning 23 countries) were recruited to participate in a quasi-experimental study in a hotel setting. A three-way analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – All customers are very likely to invoke the service guarantee after an unsatisfactory service recovery. When customers are satisfied with the service recovery, they report lower invoke intentions, except for collectivistic individuals who are still inclined to invoke an unconditional service guarantee after a satisfactory service recovery. The finding supports an in-group/out-group rationale, whereby collectivists tend to behave more opportunistically toward out-groups than individualistic customers. Originality/value – The study highlights the importance of excellence in service recovery, cultural differences and different types of service guarantees with respect to customers’ intentions to invoke the guarantee. The paper demonstrates how service guarantees should be designed in conjunction with service recovery strategies. Also, the paper shows that an unconditional service guarantee creates the condition in which collectivists might engage in opportunistic behavior; global service providers concerned about opportunistic customer claiming behavior thus might benefit from using conditional service guarantees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erlinda Nusron Yunus

PurposeThis study examines the different effects of service recovery strategies on customers' future intentions when online shoppers were experiencing delivery failures. Two types of problem severity are evaluated: wrong-product delivery (issues with the product quality or quantity) and late delivery. This study also investigates the impact of service criticality on the relationship between service recovery strategies and customers' future intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs experimental research with 123 online shoppers as participants. Following the results, a subsequent test is conducted to examine the effect of participants' demographics on future intentions. Finally, the current study elaborates the findings using qualitative research, interviewing both sides impacted by the service failures: online shoppers and e-retail managers.FindingsThe findings show that complementing product replacement with monetary compensation is the most effective strategy to improve repurchase intention after a dissatisfaction moment. This effect is indifferent to service criticality and severity. Age influences the participants' repurchase intentions, in which younger people are less tolerant of service failures. In contrast, gender and education level do not provide any differences. To prevent delivery failures, managers participating in this study suggest several best practices regarding systems and infrastructure, people and coordination and collaboration with logistics partners.Research limitations/implicationsThe study mainly examines a limited type of service and service failures. Further studies are encouraged to expand the variables and scenarios, as well as to employ more distinctive methods, to enrich the findings related to recovery strategy in the e-commerce industry.Practical implicationsGiven proper compensation, service failure could create momentum for online retailers to boost customer loyalty. This study suggests that managers design the most effective service recovery to win customers back to the business.Originality/valueThis paper enriches the literature related to a service recovery strategy, particularly within the online shopping context.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mobin Fatma ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Zillur Rahman

Purpose This paper aims to examine the interconnection between the consumer perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its effect on the post-recovery satisfaction and loyalty after service failures. Design/methodology/approach An intercept survey has been conducted during June to August, 2015, in the Delhi NCR area of India. The respondent to the survey includes the hotel customers who have experienced the service failure in the previous one year. The convenience sampling method has been used with the structured questionnaire. To test the proposed model, structural equation modeling is applied. Findings The finding of the present study provides the empirical evidence of the existence of a relationship between perceived CSR and customer post-recovery satisfaction and loyalty influenced by trust. Research limitations/implications The present study has suffered from the recall biases in the survey data. Although the responses were gathered from respondents on the basis of their actual service recovery experience in the preceding year, recall bias may have influenced the responses. The present study highlights a salient role of CSR initiatives, wherein managers can understand the influence of perceived in CSR and analyze the service recover encounters and ensure that recovery process improves the customer perception of CSR. Originality/value This study reinforces the significance of consumer perceived CSR and its effect on post-recovery satisfaction and loyalty after service failures.


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